Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ named most inspiring album of all time

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Other records in the top 40 list include 'Definitely Maybe' by Oasis, Pink Floyd’s 'The Dark Side of the Moon' and David Bowie’s 'Heroes'

Michael Jackson’s album Thriller is the most inspiring album of all time, according to a survey of British people.

The King of Pop’s classic record was identified as the album to have had the biggest impact on people's lives.

To date, it’s sold around 66 million copies worldwide and features some of his biggest hits - including Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin.


The second spot went to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, while third place went to Abba and their Gold: Greatest Hits compilation.

Other records in the top 40 list include Definitely Maybe by Oasis, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and David Bowie’s Heroes.

The poll of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned ahead of the 2018 Hyundai Mercury Prize, which takes place on Thursday 20 September.

Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai Motor UK president and CEO, said: “These results are a great example of exactly why we are a title sponsor of the Hyundai Mercury Prize.

“Music means so much to so many people in the UK, creating memories, inspiring changes and lifting moods.

“It’s so often a key part of the driving experience, too, with a quarter of those polled saying that it’s while driving that they listen to most of their music.

“I’m sure we can all relate to sitting in the car listening to the end of your favourite song, even as you’ve reached your destination.”

Ed Sheeran made the top 40 to thanks to his album X, and he’s joined by the Spice Girls for their debut album, Spice, and Robbie Williams for Escapology.

Queen are also in the top 40 for A Night at the Opera, alongside other rock bands including Led Zeppelin for Led Zeppelin IV and Black Sabbath for Paranoid.

Past winners of the Hyundai Mercury Prize made the cut too – including Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and Different Class by Pulp.

The study also identified the 1960s as the decade to have produced the most inspiring music to date – and a number of records from that era appear in the list.

These include albums by The Beatles, The Doors and The Beach Boys in addition to The Mamas & the Papas and Bob Dylan.

Nadine Shah, who is on this year’s shortlist for her album Holiday Destination, named Blur’s Think Tank as one of the records to have most inspired her.

She said: “Think Tank really embodies where Blur were geographically when they made it.

“They were in Morocco and you can really hear that all throughout the album – it’s just great.”

Carried out through OnePoll.com, the research also found that three-quarters of British people have been inspired by a piece of music, while 81 per cent have an album they turn to during difficult times.

Two thirds of respondents said music makes them happier, half said it makes them less stressed or anxious and a third said it comforts them.

Forty-two per cent say they have experienced such a strong connection to a piece of music and have even felt as if the song was written about them personally.

Almost half said their home is the place where they tend to listen to their favourite music, however a quarter usually enjoy music in their car.

The greatest Mercury Prize winners of all-time were also identified – with Arctic Monkeys coming top for their debut album.

Elbow came second for The Seldom Seen Kid and Pulp came third for Different Class.

Jorja Smith, who is also up for the Hyundai Mercury Prize, said: “My favourite albums are Frank by Amy Winehouse and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

“They’re both just so real, and a great album is one that you can listen to and not think about anything else.”



Top 40 most inspirational albums:


1. Michael Jackson - Thriller

2. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

3. Abba - Gold: Greatest Hits

4. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

5. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

6. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

7. Queen - A Night At The Opera

8. Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell

9. Oasis - Definitely Maybe

10. David Bowie - Heroes

11. Ed Sheeran - X

12. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

13. Nirvana - Nevermind

14. The Beatles - White Album

15. Madonna - Like a Virgin

16. The Beatles - Revolver

17. Paul Simon - Graceland

18. Led Zeppelin - IV

19. U2 - The Joshua Tree

20. Prince - Purple Rain

21. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

22. The Clash - London Calling

23. Spice Girls - Spice

24. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

25. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

26. Amy Winehouse - Frank

27. Alanis Morissette - Jagged little Pill

28. Metallica - Master Of Puppets

29. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

30. Christina Aguilera - Stripped

31. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

32. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

33. Robbie Williams - Escapology

34. The Doors - L.A. Woman

35. Radiohead - OK Computer

36. The Mamas & the Papas - The Mamas & the Papas

37. Johnny Cash - American IV

38. Prince - Sign o' the Times

39. Pulp - Different Class

40. Joni Mitchell - Blue

https://www.independent.co.uk/extra...iller-inspiring-album-uk-survey-a8537866.html
 
Rightfully so. I can't think of another album that is held to such a universal standard by almost every pop/R&B/soul/hip-hop artist.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="de"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ named most inspiring album of all time <a href="https://t.co/VfLsFPEVHv">https://t.co/VfLsFPEVHv</a></p>&mdash; The Independent (@Independent) <a href="https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1040608718692515841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">14. September 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Surprising from a British audience.

Not surprising at all. Michael has always been and always will be extremely popular here in the UK. He was doing really well on charts, even in the wake of his 2003 child molestation charges. The UK public have supported him over the years and didn't turn on him like the US public, when he become a 'controversial' figure.
 
Not surprising at all. Michael has always been and always will be extremely popular here in the UK. He was doing really well on charts, even in the wake of his 2003 child molestation charges. The UK public have supported him over the years and didn't turn on him like the US public, when he become a 'controversial' figure.

I'm aware. I'm still surprised.
 
Not surprising at all. Michael has always been and always will be extremely popular here in the UK. He was doing really well on charts, even in the wake of his 2003 child molestation charges. The UK public have supported him over the years and didn't turn on him like the US public, when he become a 'controversial' figure.

Really?? I have No doubt Michael Jackson is huge in the UK and there many many fans who have stuck by MJ, I mean Number ones still charts to this day. But, Looking at the big picture as big as he is I have always had the impression his reputation in the UK is more tarnished than anywhere else. Take into consideration the British public has an obsession with the British press which spreads lies about MJ and unfortunately a lot of these lies have stuck, Even if they are becoming less important compared to his music so long after his death. Although on the other hand this chart would say differently and maybe my personal experience of saying to people I am an MJ Fan is not what everyone experiences as this article points out. I hope you are right and as a whole the British public have a better opinion of him than I thought, I hope so.
 
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In the United Kingdom:

- "One More Chance" peaked at #5
- Number Ones peaked at #1
- "Hold My Hand" peaked at #10
- Bad 25 debuted and peaked at #6
- "Love Never Felt So Good" peaked at #8
- Xscape debuted and peaked at #1

Michael's enduring popularity in the United Kingdom, even after the lowest point of his career, has never ceased to amaze me. His sales numbers are incredible. It's no coincidence that This Is It was set there.
 
Really?? I have No doubt Michael Jackson is huge in the UK and there many many fans who have stuck by MJ, I mean Number ones still charts to this day. But, Looking at the big picture as big as he is I have always had the impression his reputation in the UK is more tarnished than anywhere else. Take into consideration the British public has an obsession with the British press which spreads lies about MJ and unfortunately a lot of these lies have stuck, Even if they are becoming less important compared to his music so long after is death. Although on the other hand this chart would say differently and maybe my personal experience of saying to people I am an MJ Fan is not what everyone experiences as this article points out. I hope you are right and as I whole the British public have a better opinion of him than I thought, I hope so.

No, it's the US where his reputation is mostly tarnished, not the UK. Why do you think he never toured in US again after the 80s? There is no doubt that there are people in the UK that obviously believe in all the negative stories about Michael, but he is still more loved and appreciated by the UK public than he is by the American public.

As mentioned by Always There in the above post, One More Chance peaked at #5. Numbers One peaked at #1. Now both this song and album were released just after the 2003 alleged child molestation come out to public. Yet the British public showed Michael love in his darkest hour by giving him a #1 album and a top 5 single.

Again like mentioned above, the posthumous releases have also done really well in the UK. Both Hold my Hand and LNFSG peaked in the top 10, while only LNFSG did so in the US. Xscape peaked at #1 in the UK, while in the US, it only peaked at #2.

In the 90s, while the US public began to turn on Michael, his popularity in UK increased even further. Dangerous spawned 7 top ten singles on the UK charts. Earth song remains his highest selling single in the UK. They Don't Care About Us peaked at #4 in the UK, while it flopped in the US, probably due to the 'controversial' lyrics. Blood on the Dance Floor, a single from a remix album peaked at #1 in the UK, while it flopped badly in the US.

Michael is way more loved in the UK than he is the US. His reputation is mostly tarnished in the US, not the UK. The British public have supported Michael Jackson and will continue to do so in the future.
 
In the United Kingdom:

- "One More Chance" peaked at #5
- Number Ones peaked at #1
- "Hold My Hand" peaked at #10
- Bad 25 debuted and peaked at #6
- "Love Never Felt So Good" peaked at #8
- Xscape debuted and peaked at #1

Michael's enduring popularity in the United Kingdom, even after the lowest point of his career, has never ceased to amaze me. His sales numbers are incredible. It's no coincidence that This Is It was set there.

Blood on the Dance Floor was a #1 single too. Number Ones and One More Chance success is astonishing given that the FBI decided to do what they did on the same day it released... coincidental as that was, of course.
 
Nite Line;4230676 said:
The UK public have supported him over the years and didn't turn on him like the US public, when he become a 'controversial' figure.

AlwaysThere;4230683 said:
Michael's enduring popularity in the United Kingdom, even after the lowest point of his career, has never ceased to amaze me. His sales numbers are incredible. It's no coincidence that This Is It was set there.

Nite Line;4230684 said:
Michael is way more loved in the UK than he is the US. His reputation is mostly tarnished in the US, not the UK. The British public have supported Michael Jackson and will continue to do so in the future.

There is no denying that his British fans supported him the most & his popularity in UK continued to be huge even after the 2004 case.

This clearly explains why MJ loved UK so much but also his British fans.

For example, in 2006 he publicly confessed to British journalist Fiona Cummins his wish to permanently live there.

… I love it here [London]. I’m looking for a place to live. I’ve always liked the UK and I just love the fans here…” (MJ, 2006)

He also confessed to Cummins that he was seeing over various luxury properties not only located in & around London, but also in Scotland & Ireland with a view to settling in there.

Finally, it is definitely no coincidence that the ‘This Is It’ Tour was going to take place there because UK continued (even after the lowest point of his career) to be globally his strongest fan base, in terms of chart/sales success but also in terms of support from his British fans.
 
Not surprising at all. Michael has always been and always will be extremely popular here in the UK. He was doing really well on charts, even in the wake of his 2003 child molestation charges. The UK public have supported him over the years and didn't turn on him like the US public, when he become a 'controversial' figure.
Maybe it's because the British public were born and raised on tabloids and know to take it with a pinch of salt or flat out not to believe it. We didn't really start getting tabloid journalism in a big way here until the late 80's/early 90's-when it became hard to distinguish it from mainstream media.

We even studied the British tabloids in school back in the late 70's as examples of yellow journalism.
 
so proud! :) I literally listen to/watch these songs everyday. can't imagine what music, or my life would be like without them.
 
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